HYDROGEN

Roll no: 928

EMBRITTLEMENT

Name: Gosai Priyanka B.

INTRODUCTION

There are two types of hydrogen embrittlement; firstly the environmental type when it is hydrogen assisted failure due to the supply of hydrogen from the environment, i.e. through corrosion. The second is hydrogen embrittlement failure due to the processes during manufacture. We shall beaddressing hydrogen embrittlement, as applicable to fasteners and the coating industries. The significant increase in the specifying of coated finishes for safety critical and high strength fasteners requires an appreciation of the hazards when selecting a surface coating. Whilst limiting the potential problems of hydrogen embrittlement through strict process control, its now possible to consider new advanced coatings that will provide greater assurance for the engineer.

Not all applications will require these advanced coatings but they are referenced for information. Whilst the subject in question is hydrogen embrittlement, we have taken the opportunity to cover related phenomena and to provide some reference position amongst the associated failure mechanisms in this topic sector. If in doubt, your supplier will be able to assist any technical issues related to surface coating and the occurrence of a failure.

WHAT IS HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT?

When atomic hydrogen enters steel and certain other alloys, for example aluminum and titanium alloys, it can cause a loss in ductility or load carrying ability or cracking (usually as sub-microscopic cracks), or catastrophic brittle failures at applied stresses well below the yield strength or even the normal design strength for the alloys. This phenomenon often occurs in alloys that show no significant loss in ductility, when measured by conventional tensile strengths, and is frequently referred to as hydrogen induced delayed brittle failure, hydrogen stress cracking or hydrogen embrittlement.

Hydrogen is the smallest atom possible and is the most abundant element in the universe. Two hydrogen atoms combine to form a molecule H2 which is a stable state. For hydrogen to do damage to steel, it must be in the atomic form and usually recently produced, called nascent hydrogen. As the atom is so small, it can enter the structure of steel. The hydrogen can be introduced during heat treatment, as carbonizing, cleaning, pickling, phosphating, electro-plating, autocatalytic processes and in the service environment as a result of cathodic protection reactions or corrosion reactions. Hydrogen can also be introduced during fabrication, for example during roll forming, machining and drilling due to the breakdown of unsuitable lubricants as well as during welding or brazing operations.

ELIMINATION

Based on above hypothesis the only ways that SCC/HE can be avoided are: Use lower strength materials (Property Class 8.8, Grade 5 or lower) where hydrogen can diffuse away from the fastener under room temperature. Avoid high tri-axial stresses applied to the fastener. This can be achieved by removing sharp corners, micro cracks, notches and the like through appropriate design of the fastener and manufacturing methods. Avoid exposure to hydrogen.

MITIGATION

The following will minimise the risk of SCC/HE. Do not use fasteners above Property Class 10.9 or SAE Grade 8. Design joints so that the clamping force is around 65% of the proof load of the fastener. Design fasteners and manufacturing processes to minimise stress concentration. Use low hydrogen cleaning and plating baths. This, however, may not give adequate cleaning required for reliable coatings. If so, use sand blasting. Reduce the resident (soaking) time of parts in acid pickles. Use appropriate inhibitors to reduce acid attack on the base metal surface. Use mechanical agitation in pickling and plating to quickly remove the hydrogen generated.

Hydride-induced embrittlement

The stress-induced hydride formation and cleavage mechanism is one of the wellestablished hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms with extensive experimental and theoretical support [23-25]. The nucleation and growth of an extensive hydride field ahead of a crack has been observed dynamically by Robertson et al. [26] in -Ti charged from the gas phase in situ in a controlled environment transmission electron microscope [27]. They showed that these small hydrides grew together to form the larger hydrides. This auto-catalytic process of hydride nucleation and growth together with brittle nature of them seems to be the main cause of embrittlement of typical hydride former element, i.e. the element of the group Vb; e.g., V, Nb, Ti and Zr.

Hydrogen-enhanced decohesion

The decohesion model is one of the oldest models used to represent the change of properties as a result of atomar hydrogen. It was described first in 1941 by Zapffe and Sims [28]. It is based on the increased solubility of hydrogen in a tensile strength field, for instance on the tip of a crack or in areas with internal tensile strength or in the tension field of edge dislocations. The increased solubility of hydrogen in this tension field results in a decrease in the atom binding forces of the metal lattice. The influence of stress results in a premature brittle-material fracture along the grain boundaries (intergranular cleavage) or network levels (transgranular cleavage) owing to the decrease of the binding forces.